Automatic shutoff valve



Aug, 26, 1947.. A. w. MAssr-:CAR

I AUTOMATIC SHUT OFF VALVE Filed Aug. 14, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l lAug. 26, 1947. v A.'w. MASsEcAR 2,426,364.

AUTOMATIC SHUT OFF VALVE Filed Aug. 14, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 aiztgssi AUTOMATIC sHUToFF .vALv Aubrey W. Massecar, HuntingtonPark, Calif., as-

signor to Ester Muriel Calif.

Massecalg -Los Angeles,

Application August 14, 194715, Serial No. 610,705

3 Claims.

1 This invention relates to an automatic shut oif valve which is designed to safeguard gas consumers against the constant danger to which gas equipped homes and other buildings are exposed.

It is therefore a safety device that shuts off the supply of gas at the rst approach of danger and prevents it being turned on again until the cause of danger has been removed. It cannot be left open unless all pipe openings in the system with which my improvement is used are closed and the whole system is in safe Working condition.

An object of my invention is to provide means for automatically shutting off the supply of gas in a consumers gas system immediately when the normal pressure of gas in the system increases or decreases a predetermined degree due to a leak in the system or if the supply of gas is interrupted or for any other cause.

Another object is the production of gas shut off means which will not permit the supply of gas until any defect in a system which will cause my improved shut olf valve to function has been removed or corrected.

Another object is the production of automatic valve shut off means which will act quickly" and which is dependable in operation to shut off the supply of gas instantly whenever the normal pressure in the gas system varies either above or below normal operating range.

simplicity of construction and effectiveness in operation.

Among still further objects is the production of an automatic valve shut off which is precisein operation, inexpensive in construction and easy to manufacture. Y

To these ends my invention comprises the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed. Y

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of my improved automatic shut off valve; Fig. 2 is a plan of the valve control means when the upper sectionrof the housing and diaphragm are removed; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my improved automatic shutoff valve; Fig. 4 is a view showing my improved automatic shut oi valve coupled into a portion of a gas supplysystem such as is commonly used for supplying gas from a central supa y being split into two upper and lower sections ll .Another object of the invention is maximum $30 ply station or plant to a consumer, and Fig. 5 is 4 and I2 which are secured together and closed by suitable fastening means such as screws I3. The housing is provided with a gas threaded inlet I4 entering the gas chamber and a threaded outlet l5. VAn orifice fitting I6 having a valve seat is placed in the 'outlet and a Valve E is adapted to raise and lower into open or closed position in cooperation with said seat.

YMy improvement provides a control mechanism for the valve which is influenced by the fluctuation of gas pressure which is impressed upon a `fle'iible diaphragm B. This diaphragm is secured tightly between the'upper and lower sections of the housing. v VThe normal range of pressure of gas inY the gas chamber tends to retain the diaphragm ingmedianor neutral position as shown in Fig. l against the tension of a helical spring I8, the lat'- terVVV being impressed between the upper Wall portion of the upper section of the housing and the .disk sections I9 and 20 which are clamped on the diaphragm. A stud Il is mounted on the central portionsof the disk sections and projects down- Wardly into the central portion of the gas chambei"` and carries on its lower end a yoke member 2lVv for controlling the operation of the latch release C yto be hereinafter described.

Myimproved valve control mechanism has a base frame 25 which is secured over the orifice tlting I6 on the oor of the housing, This base frame has two upward flange supports 26 and 2l. A valve arm D is formed with a flanged hub portion 28 which is hinged by the pintle 29 upon the flange support 26 so that said arm may swing v`upand down. (The valve E is freely hung by the coupling 30 from the outerrend portion of the valve arm and is adapted to open or close by the free iup and 'down movement of said arm. The freeend of the valve arm is formed With a latch 'engaging shoulder 3l as Will be hereinafter described. yA coil spring 32 retained around the pin't'le 29 has one end bearing against a fixed pin 32 on the ange support 25 and its opposite end engaged over the upper edge 33 of the valve arm so as to normally urge the valve E downwardly into closedr position upon its seat in the orifice tting II .Y

A latchF having two upwardly extending 'flange arms 35 and 3Sis hinged at its lower end porf tionmbythe pintle 31 on the` flange support 2.7. The 'upperlend ofthe arm 35 is provided with a lower'edge 38 which inclines upwardly and in# wardly. A coil spring 39 which is retained by the pintle 3l has one end member engaged over the back edge of the arm 36 and its opposite end member engaged against the pintle member 4U upon which the latch release C is hinged through its journal opening 40 (Fig. 5). The latch F is provided with a transverse catch 4| which is so arranged as to engage below the shoulder 3| on the free end of the valve armrD in the inwardly inclined position of the latch and in the raised position of the valve arm to normally retain the valve E in open position.

'I'o release the latch and permit the valve to close automatically through the eiort Iof spring 32 when the gas pressure in the gas chamber increases above or decreases below the norm-al range of pressure, the latch release C is provided with double releasing means. The latch release resembles a trip arm 42 which is swung on the xed pintle 40, said pintle being supported by the base lia-nge 21. The free end of the trip arm is formed with a substantially horizontal ilange 43 which is normally maintained freely between the Ybut I desire to have it understood that the conlower end of the stud l1 and the upturned end v 44 of the yoke 2|. The trip arm is provided with suitable upper rand lower lobes 42' to the sides of which horizontal latch trip pins V45 and 4S are secured above and below the pintl'e 40. Normally the upper pin 45 rests against the upwardly inclined edge 38 of the latch arm 35 while the lower pin 46 rests against its forward side edge, whereby the latch release C is retained in normal position substantially midway between the lower end of the stud l1 'and the upturned end 44 of the yoke 2|. Any variation in pressure of the gas above or below normal thus varies the vertical position of the diaphragm B, which in turn tilts the latch release C up or down-.y ThisV movement is transmitted tol the latch F by either of the latch release elements 45 or 46, thus releasing the valve arm D and the valve E into lower closed position and checking the ow of Vgas thro-ugh the outlet |5.

lThe construction thus provided is highly sensitive in action, the function of closing the valve being substantially instantaneous. Itis therefore plainly evident that the valve 'can not be left open unless the pressureon the diaphragm is above or below the neutral pressure limit, in which event the supply o f gas is checl'ced vby the snap action of the control means provided by my improvement.

The valve can be reset into open position after the device functions and the Ysupply of 'gas is returned to normal condition by the operation of a manually operable arm 5|), shown in Figs. 2 vand 3 outside of the housing and which is secured to a shaft 5|. This shaft is Vprovided -in the wall of the housing and has lon its inner `end a 'crank arm 55 which is freely disposed and spaced below the lower edge of the valve arm D in position to raise the arm into upper position with its .-shoul'- der 3| engaged by the catch 4|. A coil spring 52 serves to return the crank arm, including the shaft 5| and manual `operating arm 50 to normal position. Stops 53 and 54 dene the throw of the operating arm.

In Fig. 4 I have shown my improved automatic shut off valve G connected in a gas supply system including the usual gas meter H and' gas regulator I, the high pressure supply being furnished by 'duct J. The connection between vthe meter and the inlet of valve 'G is provided by the piping K andthe gas service from the outlet is shown indicated by piping L. The apparatus struction shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth within the spirit thereof and without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A shut off valve having a housing forming a gas vchamber and having inlet and outlet openings, a valve adapted to control said outlet opening, a diaphragm in said chamber inuenced by the gas pressure therein and having a yoke, a valve arm hinged in said housing and connected to respectively open or close said valve in relation to said outlet opening, a spring normally tending to urge said valve arm into closed position, a latch having a stop and hinged to releasably engagev and hold the free end of said arm and the valve in normal open position, a

spring urging said latch with its stop engaged with said arm, a trip lever hinged to swing with its free end engaged by said yoke through movement of said diaphragm, said trip lever having a pair Aof actuating elements disposed on opposite sides of its hinge connection to engage and release the valve arm by the swinging movement of said trip lever in either direction when said yoke is reciprocated by excessive or decreased gas pressure in the gas chamber.

2. In a vstructure as dened in 'claim '1, a reset for returning the valve and its control into raised position, having a crank arm journaled in said housing and provided with a member in the gas chamber positioned 'to releasably engage and r-eturn the valve and its `control into raised open position by the rotation of the crank arm, and a hand *operating element outside said housing for rotating the crank arm.

3. An automatic shut off valve comprising a housing which forms a gas Chamber having an inlet and an outlet, a valve adapted to control the opening and closing of said outlet, a diaphragm in said chamber influenced to reciprocate by changes in pressure of gas therein and having 55 trip engaging means, a valve arm movably supported in saidchamber and connected to open or close said valve, resilient means tending to -urge said arm and said valve to close said out-let opening, a latch movably supported to releasably engage said arm and permit the valve to AUBREY W. MASSECAR. 

